How do I know if my child’s cholesterol and triglyceride levels should be checked?

at least one parent who has been found to have high blood cholesterol (240 milligrams or greater)

a family history of early heart disease (before age 55 in a parent or grandparent)

The NHLBI also recommends that children and adolescents who have demonstrated risk factors, such as obesity, should have cholesterol and other lipids, including triglycerides, tested periodically by their physicians.

How does my child’s doctor check cholesterol and triglyceride levels?

A simple blood test is used to check cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Your child’s doctor will be able to determine total cholesterol as well as the HDL and LDL levels.

You can often also manage your child’s triglyceride level with lifestyle changes involving changes in diet—particularly increasing intake of omega-3 fatty acids (found in fish) and eating fewer simple carbohydrates such as bread and pasta—and increased exercise.

In some cases, your child’s doctor may prescribe medication to manage cholesterol and triglyceride levels, especially when diet and exercise don’t produce the desired results.

“

Boston Children’s is so much more than a hospital—it’s a community of researchers, clinicians, administrators, support staff, innovators, teachers, patients and families, all working together to make the impossible possible.
”